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Parkside Junior High School

Q: Is Parkside Junior High School a good school?

Parkside Junior High School ranks 691 st of 1368 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

691^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 1,368 Illinois Middle Schools

Better than 49% of Illinois middle schools

Summary

Parkside Junior High School is a public middle school located in Normal, Illinois, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 586. It is part of the McLean County Unified School District 5, which is ranked 432 out of 811 school districts in Illinois and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Parkside Junior High School faces several challenges, including lower academic performance compared to the district and state averages, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and math significantly below the benchmarks. The school's performance is particularly concerning for certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic and English Language Learner (ELL) students, who rank in the bottom 25% of Illinois middle schools. Additionally, the school has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 23.1% to 26.3% over the past few years, which are significantly higher than the district and state averages.

While Parkside Junior High School's spending per student has increased over the years and is higher than the district average, this does not seem to be translating into better academic outcomes. Interestingly, the school's performance is generally lower than the nearby Evans Junior High School and Chiddix Junior High School, which are also part of the same district, but better than some other nearby schools outside the district, such as Bloomington Junior High School. The school could benefit from a comprehensive review of its instructional practices, support systems, and strategies to address the unique needs of its diverse student population.

598

Students ?

11.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,748

Per pupil spending ?

46.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

101 N Parkside Rd
Normal, IL 61761-2344

(309) 557-4408

District: McLean County Unified School District 5

Students who attend Parkside Junior High School usually attend:

High:

Normal Community West High School

Feeder schools for Parkside Junior High School:

Elementary:	Carlock Elementary School
	Fox Creek Elementary School
	Parkside Elementary School
	Prairieland Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.4%

African American:

18.4%

Hispanic:

13.4%

See top rated Illinois middle schools

Compare Parkside Junior High School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 66th percentile in 2015 → 49th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 17 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Mathematics scores 14 pts below the Illinois average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school41%

District avg48%

Illinois avg46%

691^st of 1,368

Illinois public middle schools ?

Bottom 49%▼ down 17 pts since 2015

From top 34% (2015) to bottom 49% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Illinois Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Middle Schools in the McLean County Unified School District 5

432^nd of 811McLean County Unified School District 5 among Illinois districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	45.1	691 of 1368	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.0	748 of 1363	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.8	555 of 1367	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.9	478 of 1369	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.7	460 of 1241	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.3	393 of 1356	71.0%	★★★★☆
2018	65.8	381 of 1293	70.5%	★★★★☆
2017	60.8	441 of 1293	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	50.8	584 of 1294	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	58.0	441 of 1302	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	64.0	463 of 1322	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	61.6	520 of 1367	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	70.0	411 of 1365	69.9%	★★★★☆
2011	66.7	503 of 1344	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	65.9	501 of 1327	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2009	65.5	517 of 1318	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2008	69.1	433 of 1293	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2007	69.7	402 of 1287	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	73.7	329 of 1272	74.1%	★★★★☆
2005	75.9	299 of 1209	75.3%	★★★★☆
2004	82.8	167 of 1204	86.1%	★★★★☆
2003	71.7	355 of 1185	70.0%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	40.0	314 of 574	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.8	384 of 548	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.2	242 of 569	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.6	250 of 573	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.6	151 of 385	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.2	273 of 565	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.8	151 of 511	70.5%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	38.2	376 of 694	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.4	335 of 639	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.8	392 of 674	41.8%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	28.7	388 of 483	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.9	472 of 486	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	36.0	313 of 480	34.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	43.7	659 of 1248	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.0	716 of 1251	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.9	591 of 1275	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.2	451 of 1286	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.4	428 of 1017	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.6	405 of 1276	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.1	416 of 1226	66.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	25.1	521 of 669	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.2	561 of 643	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.0	490 of 661	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.5	373 of 662	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.5	324 of 517	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.0	406 of 639	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.3	314 of 590	46.8%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	28.9	914 of 1229	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.9	984 of 1219	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.8	806 of 1234	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.1	741 of 1221	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	36.7	632 of 1019	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.9	712 of 1217	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.4	604 of 1161	48.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	44.9	643 of 1271	49.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.1	660 of 1264	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.2	468 of 1292	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.2	442 of 1286	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	50.7	430 of 1048	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.6	333 of 1296	74.3%	★★★★☆
2018	66.7	330 of 1223	73.0%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	17.6	167 of 204	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.9	151 of 184	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.7	118 of 194	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.9	144 of 195	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	62.7	67 of 179	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.8	80 of 164	51.2%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	35.9	469 of 812	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.3	523 of 802	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.0	565 of 805	29.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.8	371 of 781	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	35.6	330 of 548	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	35.7	452 of 792	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.5	352 of 602	41.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Illinois percentile	Rating
2025	42.9	513 of 884	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.5	562 of 875	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.4	444 of 895	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.6	393 of 898	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.4	408 of 813	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.7	327 of 905	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.0	347 of 889	61.0%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Male (2025)49th percentile~ school

Female (2025)47th percentile~ school

Disabled (2025)46th percentile-4 vs school

African American (2025)45th percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2025)42nd percentile-7 vs school

White (2025)42nd percentile-8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)26th percentile-24 vs school

Hispanic (2025)22nd percentile-27 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)20th percentile-30 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)18th percentile-31 vs school

By subject vs Illinois (2024-2025) ?

Science52%+7 vs state

English Language Arts46%-7 vs state

Mathematics25%-14 vs state

2.0

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Schools Near Parkside Junior High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISA Science (2025)		IAR English Language Arts (2025)						IAR Mathematics (2025)						% Polio (2024)	% Measles (2024)	% Mumps (2024)	% Rubella (2024)	% Hepatitis B (2024)	% Varicella (2024)	% DTP (2024)	% Meningococcal (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISA Science 5th Grade	ISA Science 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 4th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 5th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 6th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 7th Grade	IAR English Language Arts 8th Grade	IAR English Language Arts All Grades	IAR Mathematics 4th Grade	IAR Mathematics 5th Grade	IAR Mathematics 6th Grade	IAR Mathematics 7th Grade	IAR Mathematics 8th Grade	IAR Mathematics All Grades	% Polio All Grades	% Measles All Grades	% Mumps All Grades	% Rubella All Grades	% Hepatitis B All Grades	% Varicella All Grades	% DTP All Grades	% Meningococcal All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Parkside Junior High School	Public	6-8	101 N Parkside Rd	Normal	61761	McLean County	McLean County Unified School District 5	No	(n/a)	No	No	(309) 557-4408	598	50	11.8	46.2%	343 (57.4%)	110 (18.4%)	80 (13.4%)	12 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (8.9%)	45.1	691^st of 1368 public middle schools	49.5%		40	748^th of 1363 public middle schools	45.1%	57		52.3			46.9	41.8	50.0	46.3			27.0	29.1	18.0	24.7	98.8	98.6	98.6	98.6	98.6	98.8	99.0	97.3	$17,748	$735	$17,013
Kingsley Junior High School	Public	6-8	303 Kingsley St	Normal	61761	McLean County	McLean County Unified School District 5	No	(n/a)	No	No	(309) 557-4407	730	52	13.9	40.8%	421 (57.7%)	126 (17.3%)	85 (11.6%)	32 (4.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (8.9%)	48	655^th of 1368 public middle schools	52.1%		48.1	612^th of 1363 public middle schools	55.1%	43		47.9			41.8	44.2	52.5	46.2			21.3	37.8	29.8	29.3	98.9	99.1	99.1	99.1	99.1	98.8	98.9	95.6	$14,296	$481	$13,815
Chiddix Junior High School	Public	6-8	300 S Walnut St	Normal	61761	McLean County	McLean County Unified School District 5	No	(n/a)	No	No	(309) 557-4405	597	46	12.9	30.8%	340 (57.0%)	93 (15.6%)	54 (9.0%)	72 (12.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.4%)	62.8	457^th of 1368 public middle schools	66.6%		62.1	425^th of 1363 public middle schools	68.8%	32		55.2			52.9	52.5	64.1	56.7			28.0	41.8	39.6	36.5	94.6	94.4	94.4	94.4	94.6	94.6	94.6	94.1	$13,888	$450	$13,438
Bloomington Junior High School	Public	6-8	901 Colton Ave	Bloomington	61701	McLean County	Bloomington School District 87	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(309) 827-0086	1,050	80	13.0	65.0%	399 (38.0%)	251 (23.9%)	214 (20.4%)	22 (2.1%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	160 (15.2%)	28.9	950^th of 1368 public middle schools	30.6%		20.1	1096^th of 1363 public middle schools	19.6%	146		33.6			33.9	46.4	26.3	35.3			16.5	18.6	19.8	18.3	98.5	98.5	98.5	98.5	98.5	98.3	98.5	94.4	$17,782	$2,483	$15,299
Evans Junior High School	Public	6-8	2901 Morrissey Dr	Bloomington	61704	McLean County	McLean County Unified School District 5	No	(n/a)	No	No	(309) 557-4406	778	55	14.1	30.3%	387 (49.7%)	69 (8.9%)	121 (15.6%)	147 (18.9%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (6.6%)	73.2	325^th of 1368 public middle schools	76.2%		69	356^th of 1363 public middle schools	73.9%	31		50.2			65.6	65.1	68.7	66.4			37.8	48.4	41.9	42.8	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.5	99.4	99.4	99.4	98.1	$14,422	$475	$13,947
Tri-Valley Middle School	Public	4-8	505 E Washington St	Downs	61736	McLean County	Tri Valley CUSD 3	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(309) 378-3414	450	31	14.7	8.7%	404 (89.8%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.4%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.7%)	86.3	171^st of 1368 public middle schools	87.5%		87.2	139^th of 1363 public middle schools	89.8%	32	70.0	71.7	86.0	75.9	83.9	71.1	67.7	76.6	80.2	58.2	67.8	58.8	42.4	60.9	98.7	98.3	98.3	98.3	81.2	98.5	98.9	65.0	$11,348	$255	$11,094
Olympia Middle School	Public	6-8	911 E 800 North Rd	Stanford	61774	McLean County	Olympia CUSD 16	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(309) 379-5941	380	29	13.1	44.5%	344 (90.5%)	4 (1.1%)	15 (3.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (3.7%)	65.8	417^th of 1368 public middle schools	69.5%		65.2	394^th of 1363 public middle schools	71.1%	23		54.3			52.3	66.1	63.3	60.3			26.5	41.0	43.8	36.9	98.4	98.1	98.1	98.1	98.6	98.4	98.4	98.1	$13,515	$483	$13,033
Lexington Junior High School	Public	6-8	100 E Wall St	Lexington	61753	McLean County	Lexington CUSD 7	No	(n/a)	No	No	(309) 365-2711	110	7	16.2	15.5%	101 (91.8%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.6%)	82.9	209^th of 1368 public middle schools	84.7%		69.9	346^th of 1363 public middle schools	74.6%	137		78.4			82.4	84.2	78.9	81.8			26.5	63.2	39.5	43.6	97.3	97.3	97.3	97.3	97.3	97.3	97.3	97.3	$12,431	$121	$12,310
EPG Middle School	Public	5-8	403 McLean St	Gridley	61744	McLean County	El Paso-Gridley CUSD 11	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(309) 747-2156	345	26	13.3	34.8%	306 (88.7%)	8 (2.3%)	16 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.3%)	70.6	351^st of 1368 public middle schools	74.3%		64.3	403^rd of 1363 public middle schools	70.4%	52	64.9	56.4		75.3	51.3	55.0	66.0	62.1		28.6	37.2	56.3	48.0	43.0	98.0	98.0	98.0	98.0	99.0	97.5	98.2	76.3	$13,522	$102	$13,420
LeRoy Junior High School	Public	7-8	505 E Center St	Le Roy	61752	McLean County	LeRoy CUSD 2	No	(n/a)	No	No	(309) 962-2911	102	11	9.5	22.5%	97 (95.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.9%)	55.7	541^st of 1368 public middle schools	60.5%		40.6	737^th of 1363 public middle schools	45.9%	196		63.3				40.0	49.0	44.0				40.0	30.6	35.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	99.1	$12,167	$468	$11,700

Frequently Asked Questions about Parkside Junior High School

What is the racial makeup of Parkside Junior High School?

Students at Parkside Junior High School are 57% White, 18% African American, 13% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Parkside Junior High School a good school?

Parkside Junior High School ranks 691^st of 1368 Illinois middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Parkside Junior High School attend?

Students who attend Parkside Junior High School usually go on to attend Normal Community West High School

How many students attend Parkside Junior High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 598 students attended Parkside Junior High School.

What district is Parkside Junior High School in?

McLean County Unified School District 5

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Latest Illinois data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataOct 30, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 30, 2025

2024–25 ACT, IAR, ISA & PreACT Secure test scoresOct 30, 2025

2023–24 school spending dataOct 30, 2024

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.